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POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 54th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run: Left Lane: Phil Burkart Runs 7.955/90.47, Now #14; No Prior Run 4:52 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 56 percent, barometer 28.99 inches, adjusted altitude 1,770 feet, track temperature 63 degrees. Burkart gets a full burnout this time. The engine drops some cylinders at the
hit and he clicks it off early. Left Lane: Courtney Force Runs 4.046/320.13, Now #3; No Prior Run Right Lane: Bob Bode Runs 8.396/73.27, Now #19; Best prior run: 9.314/66.43, Was #20 Looks like Burkhart's car is locked up on the track on the top end. Gary Densham is on the bump spot at 6.829. 4:57 p.m. That didn't take long! Force gets her burnout completed without any drama this time. She gets a great start and parlays it into a big speed, just half a second off the track record, and the new #3 position. Bode has problems right after the 60 foot lights and coasts on down. He stops on the track and will have to be pulled off. Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.885 sec., 330ft-2.317, 660ft-3.280/270.81 mph. Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 4.358/224.77, Now #10; Best prior run: 8.477/80.76, Was #20 Right Lane: Chad Head Runs 4.079/303.23, Now #5; Best prior run: 9.244/72.74, Was #21 Cruz Pedregon is on the bump spot at 6.708. Both cars had broken runs in the first session. Head is away first and pulls steadily ahead down the track. The Camry drives towards the center line, but never gets too close. He tells the top end announcer that he clicked it early. Haddock had the candles lit most of the way down the track and slows a little on the top end. Chad Head's incremental times: 60ft-0.901 sec., 330ft-2.331, 660ft-3.297/267.96 mph. Left Lane: Alexis DeJoria Runs 8.327/82.74, Now #20; Best prior run: 8.285/82.68, Was #20 Right Lane: Jeff Diehl Runs 4.617/182.85, Now #13; Best prior run: 8.226/81.34, Was #19 Bob Tasca III is on the bump spot at 4.577. No joy for these two. DeJoria is away first and has a good 60 foot time. The tires start to shake and spin after that. Diehl looked to be on a good pass until just before the 660 lights, where the pipes go wet. The report from the top end is a broken blower belt. Left Lane: Jack Beckman Runs 5.409/103.74, Now #15; Best prior run: 7.520/77.87, Was #17 Right Lane: Ron Capps Runs 4.014/304.67, Now #2; Best prior run: 8.070/89.46, Was #19 Not the usually qualifying spots for these two! Beckman made a good leave and then has a bang from the engine right after the 330 lights. He coasts on down into the #15 spot. Capps had all of the numbers going for him until right in the lights. There is a huge explosion and the body is blown off the car from the windshield back. Carbon fiber confetti everywhere! All of that and he is still the new #2 qualifier! Ron Capps' incremental times: 60ft-0.883 sec., 330ft-2.286, 660ft-3.239/271.24 mph. 5:08 p.m. Time out for a lot of clean up! Left Lane: Gary Densham Runs 4.199/289.20, Now #9; Best prior run: 6.829/105.34, Was #18 Right Lane: Cruz Pedregon Runs 6.531/103.66, Now #18; Best prior run: 6.708/95.56, Was #17 5:27 p.m. Time for more qualifying. It's full dark now and the header flames will be spectacular! Robert Hight is on the bump spot at 4.447. Pedregon is away first and pulling ahead until well after the 60 foot lights. The tires go up in smoke and he pumps the pedal several time, but no joy. Densham gives up some ET near the lights, as there is heavy smoke from the engine. He is still in the field in the #9 spot for now. Gary Densham's incremental times: 60ft-0.922 sec., 330ft-2.361, 660ft-3.361/253.99 mph. Left Lane: Tim Wilkerson Runs 8.499/82.81, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.454/113.40, Was #17 Right Lane: Bob Tasca III Runs 7.126/86.00, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.577/194.63, Was #14 Terry Haddock is on the bump spot at 4.358. Wilkerson car slows quickly and may have some drive line problems. Tasca is strong off the line and then strikes the tires hard. Left Lane: Robert Hight Runs 3.996/317.94, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.447/198.64, Was #13 Arend doesn't make the call and Hight will get a single. It's a terrific looking pass from start to finish, as Hight runs right on down the track with just a little waggle near the top end. He runs his first three second run, a career best of course, and jumps all the way up to the #2 spot. Robert Hight's incremental times: 60ft-0.889 sec., 330ft-2.285, 660ft-3.230/273.44 mph. Left Lane: Tony Pedregon Runs 4.748/172.41, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.303/236.46, Was #11 Right Lane: Jeff Arend Runs 8.863/69.86, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.104/309.06, Was #9 Paul Lee is on the bump spot at 4.306 and everyone left to run are already in the field. Identical sixty foot times, but Arend is done right after that. Pedregon gets to near the 330 lights and kicks the head gaskets and lights up the oil big time. The car burns on down the track, well past the finish line, and he slides the Camry to a stop. The car is still burning and Pedregon jump out and horses the body up, just as the Safety Safari pull up and puts the hoses on the fire. He's fine, but there is a lot of damage. 5:36 p.m. Lots of clean up on the track. Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 4.690/175.37, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.082/314.75, Was #8 Right Lane: Matt Hagan Runs 7.047/96.64, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.077/316.01, Was #6 5:49 p.m. Three of the final four qualifiers have been in the "Threes" before. Again tonight? Nope! Hagan has a good leave and then is up in smoke right after that. Johnson gets to about half track before he has to lift. Left Lane: John Force Runs 3.966/324.12, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.983/317.72, Was #1 Right Lane: Del Worsham No Time, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.040/317.27, Was #4 Force needs a 4.023 or better to set a new National Record on this pass. The last time Force had the National ET record was in Chicago in 2004 at 1320 feet. Worsham is told to shut off the engine and Force will get a single. MAGIC! Force leaves hard with a great 0.880 sixty foot time and just flies right on down the track to set both the National ET and Speed records! Header flames over the roof from start to finish! John Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.880 sec., 330ft-2.265, 660ft-3.208/274.39 mph. 6:00 p.m. Paul Lee is on the bump spot at 4.306.
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